1. Field of Invention
A roadway marking tape applied to an upper surface of a roadway combines a continual upper reflective surface applied to the upper surface of the marking tape, incorporating a plurality of spaced elevated pavement markers having a white reflective front surface and a red reflective rear surface, the marking tape having an expandable adhesive material applied to a lower surface of the marking tape within which are embedded a plurality of contoured roadway spikes which are exposed from the lower surface through the adhesive material when pressure is applied to the upper surface when applying the roadway marking tape, the spikes permanently attaching the marking tape to the upper surface of the roadway with the adhesive material providing a permanent adhesive seal between the marking tape and the roadway surface.
2. Description of Prior Art
The following United States patents were discovered and are disclosed within this application for utility patent. All relate to either roadway markers or roadway tape.
The first category of prior art patents deal with reflective roadway marking tape. These type patents generally disclose an upper reflective surface and a lower adhesive. These patent include U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,607 to Eigenmann, U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,689 to May and U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,907 to Peil. U.S. patent to Rodli discloses a painting material that places a reflective material at certain predetermined location during application. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,661,242 to Truxal, flat material is to be attached to a roadway surface using what appears to be a bolt.
A second set of patent is disclosed that deal with reflective markers which are fastened to a roadway surface and are elevated above the roadway surface. Some of these have reflective and retro-reflective components which appear visible from a vertical perspective seen in a horizontal perspective. These patent include U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,933 to Taylor-Myers, RE 31,291 to Eigenmann, D470,787 to Kim and U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,555 to Kuo.
The last set of patents dealt with machines to apply roadway markers and material. These patents included U.S. Pat. No. 2,875,675 to Searight, U.S. Pat. No. 3,086,431 to Perry, U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,259 to Eigenmann, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,568 to Stone. A device similar to Stone would be suggested for application of the roadway tape which is the subject of the present invention, dispensing a reel of marking tape similar to the manner that is disclosed in the Eigenmann patent. An apparatus for applying an adhesive marking material, but to a vertical surface, is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,943 to Marty.
While disclosing similar individual elements as the present invention, none of the disclosed patents contain the combined elements of the present invention, especially in the presentation of the roadway spikes to the lower surface of the marking tape embedded within the expanded adhesive layer and the disclosed pavement markers attached within the upper surface of the tape.